1. Agrigento is an Italian town, the capital of the province of Agrigento in Sicily. It was founded around 580 BC. It reached its zenith in the fifth century BC. During the Punic Wars it was conquered by the Romans. It is known as the City of temples for its temples in a place called Valley of the Temples, included among the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Agrigento is famous as the hometown of Luigi Pirandello and the philosopher Empedocles. We remember also Leonardo Sciascia and Andrea Camilleri.

3. The exterior and the interior of the temple were covered with stucco. The construction of the temple belongs to Lucius Furius Camillus, the dictator Marco Furio Camillo’s son. The original edifice was smaller than the one we have now. During the reign of Augustus it was again restored and enlarged by the future emperor Tiberius, because of a fire, and it was dedicated to Concordia Augusta in 10 AD, when it was consecrated again.

4. The Temple of Hercules was imposing and standing in the Valley of the Temples just like the symbol of power and strength of Herakles, the national hero of Sicily and, in particular, of Agrigento. Of the 38 columns (6 on the front and 15 on the long sides counting the corner ones, only 9, raised in 1922, thanks to the generosity of the English Captain Hardcastle,stand out among all the ruins.

5. In this temple, the ancient Greeks used to celebrate weddings at the conclusion of a particular ritual starring a lamb. In fact, before the wedding took place, the couple brought a lamb offered to the goddess. The lamb was wet with cold water: if it was shaking, the marriage was not happy and so it would not be celebrated. Over the years, the couple went, out of gratitude, even to the temple to give the belt of the bride that, because of her pregnancy, had become too narrow. Moreover, in the eastern t part of the temple, there is an altar that was used for sacrifices in honor of the goddess Hera. Inside there was a statue of the goddess Juno. Its floor was originally in white marble, but during the Roman occupation, the floors were replaced. Today you can see the darker traits on the structure, caused by a fire. Placed in the highest part of the ancient Greek city, the temple was built around the mid-fifth century BC. It is dedicated to the goddess Hera Lacinia (Juno), wife of Zeus.

7. The Temple of Olympian Zeus is the largest temple built by the Greeks. According to the scriptures, the monument was built around 480 BC after the battle of Himera, but for some reasons,the construction was never completed. The structure of the Temple of Olympian Zeus presented some very tall columns. There were the giants, called Telamoni or Atlases, who gave the impression of supporting the entire weight of the lintel.

8. Roofless for continuous destruction suffered by the city, the Temple of Olympian Zeus was Unfinished.

9. In 867 some civilities of different origin came to Sicily. After a long war, Agrigento was finally occupied by Berberi. The Roman name Agrigentum become, under the Arabian conquest, Kerkent. The Arabs introduced the sugar cane, the cotton and other innovations. The internal conflicts between Arabian cities let the Normans conquer easily the island in 1086.

10. FEAST OF ALMOND The Almond Blossom Festival was born in Naro, as a village festival to greet the blooming of the flower of the almond tree that blossomed into a nearby valley. During this festival there is an harmonious assemblage of folk groups that want to strengthen the values ​​of peace, brotherhood and freedom, that are the basis of any civilized society.